Computer networks form an increasingly important part of many computing environments. Such networks provide a means for storing information which is to be shared by a number of users and for providing communication services, such as E-mail, between users. Unfortunately, computer networks are designed with a stationary user in mind. In general, the network connects a number of stationary computers connected by relatively fixed communication links. Normally, the user is wired to a file server or uses a short range radio or optical link to connect to the server. When the user travels to a location that is not connected to the server, the user loses much of the benefit of the network.
A number of prior art systems have been implemented for the purposes of providing network access to the traveling employee. These systems can be divided roughly into two categories. The simplest systems are analogous to docking stations. The traveling employee uses a portable computer. When the employee is on the premises which are connected to the network, the employee plugs his or her computer into an interface referred to as a docking station. The docking station then provides connection to the file server. The docking station is a very economical solution to the problem of the traveling employee when the employee is on the premises connected to the network or connected to the docking station by modem. Unfortunately, when the employee is traveling, he or she is not connected to the network. As a result, E-mail messages and other "real-time" network services are not available. Further, messages sent to the employee's station are often lost, since the portable computer has been removed from the network.
The second solution for providing network access to the traveling employee is to leave a fixed computer connected to the network at all times. The traveling employee than controls this fixed computer via telephone lines from his portable computer. While this solution avoids the data loss problems associated with docking stations, it requires a dedicated computer to maintain the employee's presence on the network. Furthermore, many applications can not be effectively run over a low bandwidth communication link such a telephone line. For example, applications that utilize graphical interfaces are difficult to run because each time the screen is updated, the system must pause for several seconds to allow the graphical information to be transmitted over the telephone line. Hence, such remote control systems are seldom used for operations other than transferring files to and from the network to the remote computer.
In addition, the employee must transfer files to and from the fixed computer. When the employee leaves on a trip, he or she must transfer files from the fixed computer and/or network to his or her portable computer. Similarly when the employee returns, the files that have been altered must be transferred back to the network from the portable computer via the fixed computer. These file transfer operations require the employee to physically connect the two computers in addition to giving the appropriate commands needed to transfer the files.
Broadly, it is the object of the present invention to provide an improved apparatus for providing network access.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a network access system which preserves information sent to a user's station when the user is not connected to that station without the need to dedicate a computer to that station at all times.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the invention and the accompanying drawings.